Hello, new member here. I wonder if anyone can offer any help/information please.

At the bottom of Whitehouse Lane, just by the traffic lights, there is a scrap yard. It is a strange looking place, stone wall approximately 15 feet high to the front, and brick built around the curved back. Peering though the gate at 8 am on Sunday morning, the interior was just like looking into a black hole.

So to the questions :

Does anyone know what this building was originally ? It's unlikely to have been built with fancy stone walls and arches just to be a scrapyard !

What was the original use of the building ? Was the brick build part used as workshops or something ?

Is it possible that the stone wall with arches is a remaining part of the original Sheffield Barrack ? I know this was located nearby, and I believe a portion of the Barrack stables protruded across was is the end of Infirmary Road.

How come this area survived the demolition that went on prior to Kelvin Flats being built ? To my recollection it's always been a scrapyard, is it a listed building for some reason ?

Any help greatly appreciated.
Many Thanks
Richard

My uncle used to work there in the mid 80's; it was a builders yard then. Can't help with the history ofthe building though.

Welcome to the forum :wave:

K x

Hi

Originally the building in question used to be the Crown Brewery (name now used by The Hillsborough Hotel for it's beers)

http://www.rocknroll.force9.co.uk/pubs/brewing.htm

Thanl you for the welcome and the information.

All I've managed to locate so far is that the Crown Brewery was started about 1860 by Samuel Berry "at the start of Infirmary Road" - I believe there might be a beer named after Samuel.

Was talking to one of the former tennants ( kelvin metals ),
he said it dates back to at least 1790's and was army barracks,
he also said the university did a bit of history on it at some time, its a listed building because he had to restore a crumbling wall to its original state.

Originally posted by ceegee
Hi

Originally the building in question used to be the Crown Brewery (name now used by The Hillsborough Hotel for it's beers)

http://www.rocknroll.force9.co.uk/pubs/brewing.htm
Well done ceegee for finding my page about old local breweries, most of the stuff on that table is gleaned from the excellent Book "A Pub On Every Corner" by Douglas Lamb.
Which might have some more info about it.

This could be it taken from Genuki,

"PHILADELPHIA, in the township of Nether Hallam, and parish of Sheffield, 1½ miles from Sheffield. Near this place are the Horse Barracks, built in 1794."

It now belongs to North British Housing Association who bought it (for a song) from the Council when they took on the Kelvin Flats project. Expect a social housing development on it at some time in the future.

I suspect that the "Horse Barracks" are what is now apartments a little further down infirmary Road, accessed from Bedford Street. They originally had ramps in the courtyard to access the multi-storey stables.

Samuel Berry - Crown Brewery, Whitehouse Lane, off infirmary road, Built around 1840, it was taken over by WH Birk's Brewery in 1865. In 1897 it was sold to James Haynes [Crown Brewery Co] Ltd, then closed in 1910.

Taken from A Pub On Every Corner

Looking on a 1823 map there are barracks on what appears to be from Whitehouse lane down to Penistone road,

dont think they are hillsborough barracks, think they were built around 1850
thought the stables at Cross Bedford street belonged to Thomlinsons

Thank you all for you replies, most enlightening

I have the following info :
From Bailey to Bailey - A Short History of Military Building in Sheffield (City Library)

Barrack in Sheffield were (clandestinely) (i.e. they built 'em, then asked for the funding) built and ready to use in 1794

built as a result of serious rioting in the town in 1791

in 1791 an Act of Parliament gave the Duke of Norfolk, Philip Gell (Gell Street, Richard ?), the Rev James Wilkinson (Vicar of Sheffield) the right to enclose 6,000 acres of common land in Sheffield

13th July 1791, Commissioners arrived at Rising Sun Inn at Bents Green to survey the lands .... met by aproned cutlery workers, in whom country sporting was second nature

Dragoons dispatched from York, Vincent Eyre (Duke of Norfolks agent) (Eyre Street, Richard ?) requested assistance

29th July 1791 - rioters released prisoners from the town jail on King Street (don't know where this is/was, Richard)

Construction of theBarracks commenced 27th July 1792, opened 1794, cost over £2,000

to be continued, don't know how much I'm allowed to post

From Bailey to Bailey continued ....

Built of brick and stone, two troops of cavalry - about 200 men, stone used for decoration, mainly brick

Barracks noted for having whitewashed walls (is this where whitehouse lane comes from, or was it Whitehouse Lane before the Barracks, Richard ?)

Troops from Barracks called to attend to a mob at Dr Hall Overend's Medical School, near what is now Leopold Street (body snatching, who'd have thought it, Richard)

1st Royal Dragoon Guards called out 13th august 1839 - Chartists and 12th September 1839 to disperse a crown in Paradise Square - Chartists' protest.

Rates of pay for contractors :

Carpenter 4s 6d
Glazier 4s 6d per day of 10 hours
Slater labourer 3s

"Stuff" :

Copper sheet 1s 3d per pound
Lead pipes £1 4s per hundredweight
Nails 51/2d per pound

one last bit to go, hope I'm not offending the forum

From Bailey to Bailey - last bit, honest

Majot Thomas Amory was the Barrack Master and James Brunt the Barrack Sergeant in 1833 (at last, something relevant, my surname is Brant, trying to prove or disprove a link to James Brunt).

Captain Gill later took over, died 7th April 1836, headstone currently displayed in entrance to Hillsborough Barracks

Barracks fell apart "slenderly tenanted for some years" in 1833

New Barracks construction commenced in 1848

November/December 1849 - 3rd (Prince of Wales') Drgoon Guards reside at Hillsborough Barracks

Sheffield Barracks closes almost immediately

<time passes>

11th March 1962, Richard Brant is born at Jessops, lives at Birkendale, next Street to Blake Street, hey that means it's my birthday tomorrow !

why is a building half brick and half stone, which bit is older please ?

Don't suppose there are any Muster Rolls available anywhere for the Horse Barracks at this time.......

Was Infirmary Road known as Walkley Road/Lane in 1823 map, I seem to remeber seeinng this at some point, but age is getting the better of me

noticed this week that this lovley historic building has been demolished :rant: would it have been to hard to just keep the building in good repair.. :rant:

noticed this week that this lovley historic building has been demolished :rant: would it have been to hard to just keep the building in good repair.. :rant:

I suppose some developer had his eye on it, and as usual the ones who are supposed to look after listed buildings have done--- nothing

Was it listed? It was certainly in a dangerous condition before they started knocking it down. What can be done if a listed building becomes unsafe? Who is responsible?

Anyway, apparently listing makes no difference to developers (such as the listed council offices recently demolished at the bottom of Saltbox Lane, which were knocled down "by accident").

Well I was under the impression it was listed, was it not the last old brewery left in sheffield? It's general state of repair had got pretty bad over the last twelve months,but no doubt thats what the owners wanted.

Prior to Kelvin Metals it belong to a company called Mellows 50's/60's

Was it listed? It was certainly in a dangerous condition before they started knocking it down. What can be done if a listed building becomes unsafe? Who is responsible?

Anyway, apparently listing makes no difference to developers (such as the listed council offices recently demolished at the bottom of Saltbox Lane, which were knocled down "by accident").

When it belonged to Kelvin Metals, they had to repair the front stone part next to the gateway, they had to do the repair in accordance with listed building regs.
The chap who ran K/M told me it used to form part of the old barracks,

Mellowes & co.lead pipe mfrs. (Crown sash works) did have it, as well as the buildings that are now a motorcycle shop

To my mind, there was so little of it left, take it down, then put it back up safely .... retain a bit of history

If there is any further news about this place, or its history, please contact me, if you wouldn't mind - Richard.Brant@Amec.com

Many Thanks in advance

P.S. I was due to re-visit Sheffield at the end of the month' looks like I'll be missing an old friend